Wire-stretcher.



No. 756,389. PATENTED APR. 5,1904. J. W. MONTGOMERY.

WIRE STRETUHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

THE "cams FETERS co. wow-Mme" WASHINGTON, u. c.

stretcher.

Patented April 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. MONTGOMERY, OF NIMROD, TEXAS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. '7' 56,389, dated April5,1904.

Application filed June 10, 1903.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN WV. MONTGOMERY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at N imrod, in the county ofEastland, State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in WVire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to wire-stretchers; and it has for its object toprovide a stretcher which will be formed of a single bar of metal at aminimum cost and which will have one of its wire-holding members soformed that it may be used also in pulling staples.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stretcher having acutting-blade conveniently arranged, so that after the stretchingoperation and after the wire has been firmly stapled to the end post itmay becut off, the cutting-blade being also useful for cutting wire atother times. I

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in both views, Figure1 is a perspective view of the wire- Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionthrough the wire-stretcher at one side of the cutting-blade, theposition of the wire during the cutting operation being illustrated.

Referring now to the drawings, the present wire-stretcher consists of abar 5, which is preferably of metal, and at one end of which is atransverse perforation or eye 6, which is designed to receive across'bar 7, which forms a handle, which is grasped to rotate the bar 5during the stretching operation. At the opposite end of the bar 5 fromthe eye 6 and spaced slightly rearwardly from the extremity thereof isformed a finger 9 of substantially arc shape. This finger from its basecurves outwardly and away from the bar 5 and then inwardly, so that itsextremity is separated from the face of the bar 5 by only a slightinterspace 10 sufficient to receive a wire or a Serial No. 160,813. (Nomodel.)

staple in its passage into the inclosure between the finger and the bar5. The inner face of the fingerthat is, the face adjacent to the bar5-is thus concaved.

In the operation of stretching the wire the wire is engaged between thefinger and the adjacent face of the bar and the bar is then rotated sothat the wire is wound over the finger and the bar in the mannerillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, this operation being continueduntil the wire is placed under the desired tension. To facilitate thisoperation of the bar, the end thereof beyond the finger is formedcylindrical, so that it rolls readily against the face of a fence-post.

To provide for cutting the wire, the metal of the bar 5 at the oppositeside from the finger 9 is drawn or shaped into a cutting edge or blade11, this blade extending longitudinally of the bar 5 and being just toone side of that portion of the bar about which the fence-wire is woundin the stretching operation, so that when the wire has been stretched tothe proper tension it may be stapled fast and then manipulated to lieacross the cuttingblade, where it may be struck with a hammer to cut it.Instead of forming this blade of the same metal as the bar it will beunderstood that it may be formed of a separate piece of metal welded orotherwise attached to the bar at the proper point.

By forming the finger 9 with its extremity turned inwardly toward thebar 5 the tool makes an efficient staple-puller. To pull staples, theextremity of the finger is engaged through or around the bight of thestaple and the bar 5 is disposed with its adjacent end against the postas a fulcrum, when the lever is operated to draw the staple, thecurvature of the finger preventing the staple from accidentally leavingthe finger, although it may be subsequently withdrawn readily.

It will be noted from the above description that the present tool hasthree distinct uses, and in each use of the tool an element is employedwhich is employed in another use of the tool, so that each of theelements, with a cutting edge projecting from the bar at a the exceptionof the cutting edge, has a numpoint diametrically opposite to the baseof the her of uses. finger, said cutting edge extending longitudi- Whatis claimed is nally of the bar. 7 5 A Wire stretching and cutting toolconsist- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in I 5 ing of a barhaving a handle at one end and havpresence of tWo Witnesses. ingadjacent to its opposite end a finger rising JOHN W. MONTGOMERY. inarched shape from the bar and extending Witnesses: longitudinally of thelatter in the direction of W. A. BUCHANAN,

10 the end of the bar opposite to the handle, and A. L. MUNN.

